Reader’s Digest International — August 2017

August• 2017 | 17

babies outside that needed feeding.
Either way, the possum, when it
woke, was so fast that we lost it
twice in the house, finally finding it
hiding behind some storage boxes.
The possum catcher explained
to me that if she took the possum
ther nearby area and it was
, he would most likely be
ed and killed by other male
ms (males are very territorial
on’t welcome newcomers). If,
other hand, it was a female,
could be babies left without
eir mother.
I agreed that the possum
should be released into my
backyard so that it could
eturn to its family and
s. As the possum was let free,
it ran frantically up a gum tree back
to its loved ones, who were probably
sound asleep. I then went back to
my cold toast and coffee.

A Lioness Mourns
AMINA AWAIS
In September 2013, we celebrated
our first wedding anniversary at
the safari park in Lahore, Pakistan.
Nearing the lion’s area, I noticed
several people gathered around and
was told by the staff that a lioness
had just lost her cub.
Earlier that morning, the newborn
had been found lifeless. The staff,
alerted because of the loud crying
coming from the lioness, found the
mother licking her cub and howling.

It seemed that the cub had died in

his sleep.

I was close enough to see the

lioness holding her baby in her

mouth, her eyes clearly wet as

though she was crying.

One lion sat still under the shade

of a tree, keeping an eye on her,

while another stood close by,

looking upwards to the sky. The

lioness roamed around holding the

cub, finally settling under a tree

where she placed the cub and sat

silently gazing at him. Everyone

could feel her sorrow.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

houseofpets.innovations.com.au

to anot
amale
attacke
possum
anddo
onthe
therec
the

s
b
re
friends
it ranf